RICHMOND (CBS SF) — A motorcyclist suffered minor injuries in a crash caused by a gravel spill on Interstate 580 in Richmond Thursday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The spill was reported at about 1:30 p.m. on the highway’s westbound lanes, east of Canal Boulevard.

A gravel truck lost part of its load causing all westbound lanes to be blocked, CHP Officer Sean Wilkenfeld said.

Wilkenfeld believes the truck did not stop and the CHP wasn’t able to locate it.

Caltrans crews responded and were able to sweep up the spill, allowing all lanes to reopen by about 4 p.m.

© Copyright 2017 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

CASTRO VALLEY (CBS SF) — All lanes of westbound Interstate Highway 580 have reopened Thursday afternoon after a pair of big-rig collisions that turned fatal and blocked traffic for nearly 10 hours near Castro Valley in unincorporated Alameda County.

A Sig-alert was issued at 4:24 a.m. because all westbound Highway 580 lanes were blocked. It was finally canceled around 2 p.m.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tyler Hahn said a black sedan collided with a big-rig around 4 a.m., affecting the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. The first big-rig came to rest in the middle of the freeway and was subsequently struck by a second big-rig.

The man driving the second big-rig died as a result of the collision, according to Hahn. He’s been identified as 62-year-old Maclovio Lopez of Roseville, according to the Alameda County coroner’s bureau

Personnel on the scene unloaded one of the heavily damaged trucks at the scene, which contributed to traffic delays.

CASTRO VALLEY (KCBS) – One person was injured in a shooting on Interstate 580 in Castro Valley on Tuesday night.

Officer Dan Jacowitz of the California Highway Patrol told KCBS that the shooting was first reported around 9:00 p.m. A witness saw someone fire shots from a black sedan into a Nissan between Redwood Road and Strobridge Avenue.

CHP officers arrived at the scene, but found no victims, no suspect, and no other evidence. Two hours later a gunshot victim showed up at a hospital, Jacowitz said.

“About 11 p.m. yesterday evening, a 21-year-old male who ended up being a passenger in the Nissan sedan, checked into an emergency room in Oakland with a gunshot wound,” the officer told KCBS.

The victim had been treated and released from the hospital.

When the CHP found the Nissan, it had struck by gunfire several times.

Jacowitz said they are still trying to determine what provoked the shooting.

DUBLIN (CBS SF) — All lanes of the connector from southbound Interstate 680 to westbound I-580 in Dublin were shut down for hours Friday night following a fatal crash.

The incident was initially reported at 8:28 p.m. on the highway connector, close to the Dublin Pleasanton BART station.

The California Highway Patrol says the crash may have been a suicide, with a man putting himself in the path of traffic.

“Early indications show that the person put their vehicle in park and jumped from the overcrossing, landing on the transition road below it, where it was struck by multiple vehicles — the body was,” CHP officer Derek Reed told KPIX.

The CHP said all lanes were open as of 11:20 p.m.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — A pregnant woman and one other person were injured in a freak, chain reaction crash, after a car flew off I-580 into a car pushing it into the Trader Joe’s parking lot, crushing 2 vehicles.

The 5-car crash happened at around 11:55 a.m., according to the authorities.

A red Toyota traveling on westbound on Interstate 580 near Lakeshore hit the wall and hydroplaned into a car on the shoulder, then flew off the freeway and crashed into a Honda, sending it over a wall, crashing down onto two cars parked at Trader Joe’s.

The pregnant victim was driving the Honda, according to the CHP.

The crash shut down the Lake Park Avenue exit and slowed traffic for about an hour.

Authorities said the rainy, wet road conditions caused the crash.

The pregnant woman was extricated from her car and taken to a nearby hospital. Her condition is unknown.

One other victim suffered cuts and bruises.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — One person died Thursday night on westbound Interstate 580 in Oakland, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The events leading up to the death were first reported at about 9:10 p.m. on Highway 580 just east of Coolidge Avenue.

A Sig-alert was issued at 9:27 p.m. The alert was lifted and all lanes reopened shortly after 11 p.m.

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RICHMOND (CBS SF) — All lanes of eastbound Interstate Highway 580 have reopened after a police officer witnessed a drive-by shooting Saturday evening in Richmond.

A CHP officer was conducting a traffic stop on eastbound 1-580 west of Central Avenue when a white SUV passed by and a suspect allegedly started firing shots.

The CHP said the officer was not hit, but a Ford sedan was hit by one of the bullets. No injuries have been reported.

“I was just walking right here and suddenly I hear bap bap bap bap bap. At least 20 shots,” said Gigi Hsu. “I saw the police officer jump into his car and chase him down the road.”

A Sig-alert was issued for police activity at 7 p.m. and updated at 7:18 p.m. when all lanes were closed. All vehicles were being required to exit at Bayview Avenue on eastbound I-580.

The Sig-alert was cancelled at 9:19 p.m.

“We have no reason to believe at this time that the officer was the target of the shooting,” said CHP spokesperson, Officer Matthew Hamer.

Meanwhile investigation is currently ongoing. No arrests were made.

© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

DUBLIN (CBS SF) — A passenger involved in a suspected DUI crash on Interstate 580 in Dublin was killed early Saturday after emerging from the wreck and getting hit by a car while standing in a traffic lane.

The victim was identified by the Alameda County coroner’s bureau Monday as 36-year-old Andrew Warhurst of Castro Valley.

Warhurst was a passenger in a black Chevrolet Aveo driven by 21-year-old Pleasanton resident Shelby Sarin, who lost control of the car while traveling west near the Santa Rita Road exit at about 12:15 a.m. Saturday, California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Tyler Hahn said.

Hahn said the Aveo had been in the far right lane but veered all the way to the left and struck a concrete wall on the south shoulder of the freeway before coming to rest in the fast lane.

Sarin and Warhurst then got out of the car and stood in the traffic lanes while their car was disabled, according to Hahn.

While they were standing on the freeway, Warhurst was hit by a westbound Honda CR-V driven by a 34-year-old San Ramon man, Hahn said.

The collision severely injured Warhurst and emergency personnel later pronounced him dead at the scene.

Sarin was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The Honda driver was not arrested, according to Hahn.

Authorities said Sarin suffered minor injuries and was treated at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

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OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Two stray German shepherds were rescued on Interstate Highway 580 Sunday morning after officers briefly stopped westbound traffic, the California Highway Patrol said.

The CHP received several calls around 7 a.m. near the Park Boulevard exit reporting the dogs wandering on the freeway. Officers briefly stopped traffic while they collected the dogs, which were fed and taken to an animal shelter.

“(The dogs) were pretty compliant,” CHP Officer Herman Baza said. “They looked pretty exhausted. We later found out they were pretty hungry.”

Two German shepherds spotted on Interstate 580 in Oakland were rescued on September 16, 2018. (CHP Oakland)

Baza said the incident was a good example of motorists alerting police of stray animals on the freeway rather than ignoring them or trying to rescue the animals themselves. Stray animals on roadways can easily cause accidents, he said, and it is unsafe for motorists to leave their cars and walk onto highways.

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DUBLIN (KPIX 5) — An East Bay community is divided over plans for an IKEA furniture store, with some fearing the mega-store will unleash chaos and gridlock in an already busy corridor.

The plan is to build an IKEA store in Dublin just off Interstate 580 along Hacienda Drive. IKEA owns the empty 27-acre lot, prime real estate in the heart of Dublin where the Swedish furniture giant wants to build a 430,000 square foot store, which would be bigger than the ones in Emeryville and Palo Alto.

The lot is situated on a portion of I-580 that sees frequent traffic jams.

“I love IKEA, but it is like Costco and Target on crack,” said Fremont resident Erica Almquist. “You are just gonna wander, you will get lost and you will buy candles.”

It’s now nearing decision time, with the city’s planning commission set to vote Tuesday night. “My gut feeling is that the planning commission will not approve it tonight,” said Jean Josey, a candidate for Dublin City Council.

Josey would not say how she would vote, but noted, “I see some big concerns with the project. Traffic and parking, I have big concerns on those,” said Josey. “I also see this is the type of lifestyle retail we have been asking for in Dublin ”

IKEA says it would create hundreds of jobs and bring in millions of tax dollars to the Dublin and Alameda County. The company also says it would build an underground parking lot and eliminate a hotel for more open space.

But some say what open space? “Looking around you, on all the hills there are brand-new homes and apartments going in,” said Dublin resident Colette Schultz. “It’s just too much.”

There is a lot of vocal opposition, even an online petition against IKEA which has about 3,000 signatures so far.

But for others, IKEA can’t come soon enough. “I love their product. I honestly do,” said Fremont resident Peggy Francis. “So I just make it my business, okay, well this is just going to be an IKEA day. And that’s what I do.”

At Tuesday night’s Dublin Planning Commission meeting, those opposed to the IKEA carried signs and wore t-shirts that made their feelings clear.

Some residents fear the gridlock in the area will only get worse if the city council approves the project.

“I work in Redwood City and I commute to Redwood City pretty much on a daily basis. So my round trip commute is already three hours,” said Dublin resident Vaidyanadhan Krishnamurthy.

When asked what she would say to people who feel that the store is too much development that would create more traffic that Dublin can’t handle, IKEA US Public Affairs Manager Latisha Bracy defended the idea.

“We’ve spent several years really learning the community and making sure that we felt as though we could really be a good fit for this community,” said Bracy.

After receiving an “F” in the environmental impact report, IKEA says it has agreed to work with the city to make changes to mitigate traffic.

“Another good thing for residents to know is that we don’t open until 10 a.m. So we won’t have anything to do with increasing the rush-hour traffic and our afternoon peak also won’t coincide with rush hour traffic,” said Bracy.

Bruce Fiedler has lived in Dublin for more than 30 years. He serves on one of the volunteer commissions for the city and spoke in favor of the IKEA.

“It helps our jobs and housing balance. It gives revenue to the city to maintain our parks and other city services and I think it adds a little bit of class to the city,” said Fiedler. “Dublin was the poor cousin of Pleasanton for a long time. I think we’re catching up.”

The Dublin City Council is set to vote on the project next month. IKEA officials said it could take up to a year to break ground and two years to finish construction the new mega-store.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – All lanes have been reopened after a Greyhound bus burst into flames on Interstate 580 in Oakland.

The bus fire shut down all eastbound lanes just west of the Interstate 980/Highway 24 interchange, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The fire was reported at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday night.

According to Greyhound officials, the bus was traveling to Los Angeles from San Francisco.

Apparently, the driver noticed the rear left tire sparking and pulled over to the side of the freeway and told the passengers to get off, according to the Oakland Fire Department. The tire then exploded and flames spread rapidly.

All passengers, as well as the driver, made it off the bus safely. A Sig Alert was issued at 5:47 p.m. and traffic in the area was backed up for hours.

By 6:02, the fire was out but the bus was a smoldering mess. Two lanes were reopened as CHP and Caltrans worked to clear the scene.

Around 7 p.m. the bus was towed away, but investigators were still poring over the scene. Passengers were transferred back to the Oakland bus terminal.

By about 9:15 p.m. all lanes were reopened on EB I-580.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — Caltrans crews worked to remove a tree that was leaning over westbound Interstate 580 in Oakland on Tuesday.

The tree was leaning over a sound wall near Lakeshore Avenue and Park Boulevard, forcing closure of the westbound lanes of the freeway.

Crews used a pole saw to bring down two sections of the tree shortly before noon. They used a wood chipper to break up the branches.

(CBS SF) — A woman died after a car went off of westbound Interstate Highway 580 and down a ravine Wednesday afternoon in eastern Alameda County near the Altamont Pass, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The crash was reported at 1:21 p.m. on westbound Highway 580 near Grant Line Road.

A vehicle went off the south edge of westbound Highway 580 and down a ravine between the westbound and eastbound sides of the highway before overturning, CHP Officer Tyler Hahn said.

The driver died at the scene and her name hasn’t been released.

The crash initially blocked the two left westbound lanes of the highway in the area. All lanes reopened by 3:10 p.m., according to the CHP.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call the Dublin CHP office at (925) 828-0466.

RICHMOND (CBS SF) – Because of predicted rain storms this week, Caltrans’ contractor will begin the permanent repair work to replace the expansion joint on the I-580 Richmond-San Rafael Bridge during the week of Feb. 18, according to a Caltrans news release.

The work, set to start Feb. 18, will be carried out between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. each overnight shift. The work, Caltrans said, is anticipated to be finished in 10 such overnight shifts. One lane of traffic will remain open in each direction during the overnight work shifts.

On Feb. 8, Caltrans engineers replaced the six-foot metal plate installed during the first emergency repairs with an eight-foot plate, ensuring a smoother ride before the permanent work is completed.

The emergency repairs were prompted when chunks of concrete fell from the upper deck to the lower deck last Thursday, leading to closures of the entire span for several hours.

Chunk of concrete that fell on the Richmond – San Rafael bridge, February 7, 2019. (CHP Marin)

“The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge remains safe and open to the public,” Caltrans District 4 Director Tony Tavares said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, Caltrans engineers will continue to regularly monitor the bridge until the permanent repair is made.”

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RICHMOND (CBS SF) — Engineers overseeing the emergency repair of a failed expansion joint on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge that sent debris tumbling down onto the lower eastbound lanes have determined that an additional 31 joints now need to be replaced, Caltrans announced Friday.

Contractors have been working overnight this week to replace the failed upper-deck joint that sent large chunks of concrete tumbling onto the lower deck, damaging at least one car on the morning of Feb. 7.

The debris fall forced the vital transit link between the East Bay and Marin to be shut down for several hours, triggering a commuter nightmare. Initially, crews were only going to replace the one joint, but inspections have revealed wear on the others.

“Safety is Caltrans’ top priority,” said Caltrans District 4 Director Tony Tavares. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to replace the remaining sliding plate joints on the bridge beginning with those on the upper deck.”

Tavares added that “engineers perform regular inspections of the bridge and have reinspected all joints on the bridge in recent weeks. The bridge remains safe and open to the public.”

Caltrans said that in the early 2000s, more than 90 percent of the bridge’s 856 deck joints were rebuilt as part of the seismic retrofit or through other rehabilitation projects.

It was determined at the time that the remaining 61 joints, different types of joints called sliding plate joints, did not need to be replaced. The remaining 30 joints on the lower deck will be replaced as part of an upcoming rehabilitation contract later in 2019.

The most recent inspection of the underside of the upper deck and the upper deck joints was conducted in August 2018, the state transportation agency said. The last inspection of the driving surface on the upper deck was completed in September 2017.

“Structural integrity issues were not identified in any of the last inspections,” Caltrans said in a news release.

Replacement of the joint at Pier 59 that experienced failure earlier this month was expected to be complete by Saturday, March 2. Nearly identical work on the 31 additional upper deck joints was scheduled to begin March 4.

Caltrans said crews would begin installing temporary steel plates on the upper deck roadway at these locations on the night of Feb. 25. Work will take place overnight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction.

LIVERMORE (CBS SF) – A driver on Interstate Highway 580 in the East Bay managed to rack up about $1,000 in traffic fines Monday afternoon with two speeding tickets in 11 minutes, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The California Highway Patrol first stopped the driver of a 2014 Nissan Altima at 12:30 p.m. for traveling 90-plus mph on westbound Highway 580 near Grant Line Road and the Altamont Pass, according to CHP Officer Tyler Hahn.

The same car was pulled over by a different officer 11 minutes later near Greenville Road in Livermore for going 103 mph, Hahn said.

The two tickets issued by CHP to the same driver within 11 minutes. (CHP Dublin)

The CHP tells drivers to slow down after handing out speeding tickets—not to speed up, Hahn said.

The tickets probably cost the driver $400 to $500 apiece.

“That was an expensive 11 minutes,” Hahn said.

© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

RICHMOND (CBS SF) – Due to inclement weather, Caltrans has indefinitely postponed repair work on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, where chunks of concrete started falling onto vehicles on the eastbound lower deck last month.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Caltrans spokesman Jeff Weiss said that work will resume as soon as an extended period of dry weather is in the forecast.

That will be at least eight to 10 days, however, and possibly longer, according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologist Rick Canepa said Tuesday evening that Bay Area residents can expect cool, showery weather off-and-on for at least the next week and a half.

“There’ll be some dry breaks, but just a few days between systems at most,” Canepa said.

The bridge was temporarily closed Feb. 7 after chunks of concrete started falling onto the lower deck, prompting major traffic delays and forcing commuters to reroute through San Francisco or wine country.

Chopper 5 over the closure of eastbound Interstate 580 at the lower deck of the Richmond – San Rafael Bridge, February 7, 2019. (CBS)

Investigators later determined that an expansion joint, which allows the bridge to expand or contract with rising or cooling temperatures, had failed.

There was no indication that the joint was ready to fail when inspected in August, however, according to Caltrans.

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ALTAMONT PASS (CBS SF) – A severe traffic alert has been issued for Interstate 580 at the Altamont Pass Tuesday morning after a big-rig caught fire, prompting lane closures.

According to authorities, the tractor-trailer caught fire on westbound 580 near North Flynn Road near Livermore shortly before 4 a.m.

Officials said the driver was able to get out of the big-rig and no injuries were reported. The tractor trailer was reportedly carrying frozen food, salami and bacon, firefighters said.

The fire led to the closure of all westbound lanes before 5 a.m., but as of 7:40 a.m., the right lane remained blocked. Major backups on Interstate 580 and Interstate 205 through Tracy have been reported.

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A check on Google Maps around 7:30 a.m. estimated a drive between Tracy and Downtown San Jose would take 2-3 hours, with the fastest route including a stretch of Tesla Road, a windy two-lane road between the Central Valley and Livermore.

Map of travel times between Tracy and Downtown San Jose following a big-rig fire on the Altamont Pass on March 19, 2019. (Google)

The California Highway Patrol had no estimated time when all lanes would be open.

CASTRO VALLEY (CBS SF) – Two lanes reopened late Friday morning on northbound Interstate Highway 238, more than six hours after a big-rig collision and fuel spill blocked the freeway, the California Highway Patrol said.

The first and second lanes were opened, but the number 3 lane was still closed as of 11 a.m., the CHP said. There’s no estimated time for reopening the third lane.

No injuries were reported in the crash.

Scene of a big-rig crash on northbound Interstate 238 near Interstate 580 in Castro Valley, March 29, 2019. (CHP Hayward)

About 35 gallons of fuel were spilled after the wreck, which occurred about 3:45 a.m. on I-238 north of eastbound Interstate Highway 580.

The fuel that leaked from the truck’s gas tank was contained and boomed off so it wouldn’t enter nearby waterways, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which responded to the scene.

Due to the blocked lanes, trucks are being allowed to use I-580, the CHP said.

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OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Caltrans will close the westbound Interstate Highway 580 connector leading to the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge Saturday night for emergency replacement of an “attenuator” smart safety crash cushion there in the MacArthur Maze, starting at 10 p.m., with a planned reopening by 7 a.m. Sunday.

These “attenuator” devices, anchored to the roadside guard rails, are designed to stop out-of-control vehicles with the force and resistance needed – with smaller or slower vehicles, less resistance is provided than for larger vehicles or vehicles moving faster.

As part of this cushion replacement work, the connectors from westbound State Highway 24 to both the eastbound and westbound I-580 will be closed, as will the ramp from eastbound Interstate Highway 80 to West MacArthur Boulevard. Motorists will be able to access eastbound 24 from westbound I-580.

Here are some options to reach the Bay Bridge or other desired routes, depending on what roadway you’re on:

(1) From westbound I-580, take the eastbound Interstate Highway 80 ramp (Emeryville area leading to Berkeley) and exit at Powell Street; left turn onto Powell Street; sharp right onto West Frontage Road; turn right to enter the WB I-80 on ramp to continue on to the Bay Bridge.

(2) From westbound West MacArthur Boulevard, continue to Hollis Street and turn right onto Hollis; make a left turn onto 40th Street, which will become Shellmound Street in Emeryville. Turn left onto Shellmound Way, then left onto Christie Avenue, then right onto Powell Street to enter eastbound I-80.

(3) From westbound 24, continue to southbound Interstate Highway 980 and exit at 27th Street/West Grand Avenue exit. Enter Northgate Avenue, turn right on West Grand Avenue; proceed on Grand Avenue to enter the eastbound I-80 onramp to reach westbound I-580.

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